Once upon a time in Austenland
by TempeGeller
Summary: Belle loves Jane Austen, but mostly she loves Mister Darcy in Colin Firth style. When she hears about Austenland. She dreams about going, but will she find her fantasy in the 'Mister Darcy'like Mister Gold?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey**

 **This Story is something that just came to me, why I had no idea. I just wanted to write it, because Belle is a person who would read Jane Austen and love Mister Darcy. People who know Austenland and once upon a time can already see Gold as Nobley and whoever you also see.**  
 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters, situations and ideas, Austenland and once upon a time belong to its owners, maybe I wish that was me, but it isn't. I just smashed the two together which makes me kind of smart. I think…. ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: -An Austen Experience**

It's a truth universally acknowledged that girls dreams of meeting prince Charming. For me that was never a dream, I've always wanted to meet Mister Darcy.  
I've always loved Jane Austen , more so than anything else in my life. I've always considered Pride and Prejudice my favourite book, I've always had this undying love for mister Darcy, not that I didn't feel the same for Mister Knightly or Henry Tilney. Or maybe even Colonel Brandon, but certainly Edward Ferrars. It just that mister Darcy had a special place in my heart, a true gentleman that truly loved Elizabeth Bennet , that had to be amazing.  
Yet in life I never met a man like Mister Darcy, Gaston was a jerk . He never liked that I read, he only dated me for my beauty, he used to say he wanted to marry me because I was the most beautiful girl in town. He didn't like how I acted, that the whole town I thought was weird. We went about a month, than we broke up. It was something I liked, because I didn't like who I was when me and Gaston were together.  
It is when times are hardest that I always return to Jane Austen and specially to Pride and Prejudice, something about the story makes me wonder why I've never found someone who could compare. So I guess you could say I've never met a gentleman who've I loaded first and then slowly fell in love with. I guess I'll never find someone who truly would do anything for me. I can't say if I think that's okay. The question is how do I find someone that I could see myself spend my entire life with? If I knew that, I wouldn't have a problem.  
Beside love, my life was pretty great, I live in New York and work in New York public library, where I did what I absolutely loved: working with books and people. I love books I've always loved books, I guess the love started when I started with reading and it has never truly died. I don't think it ever will. True love was for me as rare as gold. I would never find it, yet I would never give up the search.

Like any day I was behind my desk at the library, I stared at the cursor blinking on the screen. I placed the returned books behind me and returned my attention to the desk. Right next to me was my best friend Ruby, who was helping a customer who needed information on the ancient Rome. Before me a woman with red hair appeared, her name was Zelena and like me she was a crazy fan of Jane Austen.  
She handed me her books, I gave her a soft smile.  
"The real thing is nothing like it darling, trust me." Zelena smiled at me.  
"Excuse me?" I stared at the Jane Austen books she just handed me. "Do you mean the movies? Because I've seen them at least a hundred times."  
"No, I'm not talking about the movies, darling." Her eyes opened wider. "I'm talking about Austenland well off course, a real life Austen experience. You travel to London's out skirts and play the role of a heroine in your very own Austen adventure."  
"Wow, that sounds wild." I could hardly believe such a place even existed, my mind went to think about it, I could live the regency through my own eyes, not the heroine of the book. It seemed pretty wild, yet I could hardly believe that I I would ever find myself in that place, I had went to London off course, I had seen every item involving Jane Austen, yet I had never heard of Austenland.  
"The actors are positively gorgeous." Zelina replied. "This men portray men from the regency and they give you your very own Jane Austen love story, in my case there were two men going crazy about me."  
"Sound interesting." I smiled. "Is it completely authentic?"  
"Clothes and all." She replied "You've never seen anything like it, I think it's very much something for you. I mean you are after all single…"  
"I…" I nervously bit my lip. "Yeah, that sounds exactly like me."  
"It's ten thousand dollars, give or take." With that Zelina left the desk. I stared to my computer screen, ten thousand dollars give or take for my perfect vacation. Or at least something that could be my favourite vacation and I wouldn't even get to London with that money, I thought about it. I had saved money off course and I always thought about spending money to something I really liked. I thought about meeting someone like mister Darcy.  
"You're not thinking about it?" It was Ruby's voice. "I know what you're thinking, meet Mr. Darcy, get married. You're forgetting that it would be an actor. Not a real life breathing man."  
"Yeah, but it's Jane Austen." I smiled. "You know how much I love her."  
"Yeah, but ten thousand dollars is a lot of money, I wouldn't do it if I were you."  
I understood what Ruby was saying, a part of me couldn't understand that I was even thinking about giving all the money I saved to an Austen experience, partly expecting that it would change my life. What was such an expensive experience going to do to my life? Maybe I would come back and find my life more empty than ever, what if I found my fantasy? What if I found the guy of my life and found out it was a simple act? It was a move that could harm more than I wanted to admit, I had to admit that the fantasy was too dangerous. In this house would be people from Austen's novels, people that would be perfect for me. Yet the truth would be that everything would be an act. Even if I wouldn't be acting, anyone there would be. If I went, I had to make sure that I wouldn't fall for anyone there.  
I stared to Ruby who was once again focused on her work. I returned my eyes to the screen in front of me, thinking about everything going on. I let it go, for just a moment. Right now I didn't need a fantasy, I needed to think about my work, not the fact if I would ever meet Mr. Darcy.

* * *

When I arrived at my apartment, I found my mother and a far aunt waiting for me. I had completely forgotten that they would stay with me on their tour to New York. I lifted the bag from my shoulders and placed it on the ground, I picked my keys from it and opened the door. My aunt Ursula walked inside, sitting down on the first chair she could find. She stared right in front of herself, trying to ignore anything that happened in the room.  
"Really, Belle." Ursula stared at her. "I don't know how you survive here."  
"It's Manhattan." I sat down across of her. "What did you expect?"  
"It's not this loud in my daughter's apartment." Ursula replied  
I thought about the apartment Arielle lived in, near Central Park, she always said how things were more quiets in her daughter's apartment, her windows must keep sound outside, unlike mine who brought every sound inside. I smiled for a moment as I asked if they wanted coffee. When they answered I brought my tired body to the kitchen to make three big cups of coffee. I pushed them in front of them and listened to the streets outside.  
"Belle, how is your friend Ruby doing?"  
"Ruby's great." I replied. "We've been friends since the sixth grade, she's working with me in the library and planning on getting engaged."

"Really?" Ursula smiled. "Is she bringing you to ideas? How about settling down with this boy your mom told me about? Gaston is he?"  
"Gaston and I have broken up for almost 4 years." I turned away from her. "Beside I'm only 29 years old. I have time to find a man and do whatever needs to happen."  
"What's for dinner?"  
I wanted to get mad, I didn't like when Ursula came over, she always said something bad about my life. Mostly about the fact that I was still single, she would always ask after Gaston, even if she knew that we had broken up. And it was getting more and more difficult to keep answering like I cared. I opened the drawer and pulled out a menu from the local restaurant, they delivered and there was no way I was going to cook for her. The first couple of years I did, but I noticed she would always have some comments, so the past seven years I had ordered out. The result, Ursula would have mean comments for whatever restaurant we would pick. I let them choose for a few minutes as my mind went to Austenland once again. The perfection of the whole land was so absolute that I would spend every dollar there, they had me convinced that it would change my life, even if I would come back more empty then I was now. I was empty headed to what I was getting myself in to. I was so obsessed that I didn't even notice what effect it had on my body and on my entire life.  
"Is that what I think it is?" Ursula got up walked past the sofa and pulled a cardboard cut-out of Collin Firth from behind the chamber plants, I was very ashamed. Mostly because I knew where it was, I had bought it online, knowing I didn't need one. Yet he looked so nice, so I placed him right behind the plant to hide it from sight, when I was alone I would place him right front and centre, like an obsessed woman, after all I was an obsessed woman.  
"He's the devil, that Darcy." She said. " but you wouldn't hide him in a houseplant. If you didn't have a guilty conscience."  
Well, that was what I had I admitted to myself. I should have placed him in that small closet that anyone ever came, yet I placed him in a bad hiding spot, where almost everyone could find him. I lived in a two room apartment in New York and had a cardboard cut-out of mister Darcy, if that didn't spell obsessed, I didn't know what would.  
"You're almost thirty, you're not married, not dating and if your mother's gossip and the photo's in your apartment tell the truth. And it all comes down to that, you're obsessed."  
I should have nodded, I should have told her that she was right, yet I didn't want to admit. Watching the movie didn't make me obsessed. Reading the books a million times didn't make me obsessed. It made me a fan, right? It did make me a fan.  
"I'm not obsessed."  
"You're blushing, what makes this story so intoxicating?"

"Besides being witty and funny, and maybe the best novel ever written, it's also the perfect romance in all of literature and nothing in life can ever measure up, so I spend my life limbering in its shadow."  
"It's a lovely novel." I wanted to roll my eyes, but I could stop the urge. "But you were not hiding a paperback in your plant, I've seen this movie. I know Colin Firth my dear, and I think I know what your life on hold to wait for."  
I was getting mad, I thought about the idea that I was putting my life on hold for mister Darcy, yet she was right. I was looking for someone like him. And what was wrong with that? There was nothing wrong with expecting a gentleman to fall in love with you, I didn't take the jerks, I wanted the man that respected me. "  
"Let me guess…" She stood up. "Things aren't working out as well, so each the men in your life disappoint you, you let Mister Darcy in a little bit more. Perhaps you've come to a point where you're so attached to the idea of the perfection, that you won't be satisfied with anything else."  
"That's nonsense." I reacted. I pulled my coat and stepped outside, I left them there, just the two of them waiting for the food they would order, but I couldn't handle my far aunt, or however she had to be related. I would get some food on my own and when I came back to the apartment, they would both be sleeping and I would lay down on the sofa and think about whatever I wanted. I didn't have to explain to her why I didn't have a boyfriend. I didn't want to say that she was right and that I was thinking about getting this fantasy closer than I should.  
I shouldn't do it, I knew. Yet, there was a part that wanted to know if the fantasy would be real.  
"Belle…" I saw Ruby from a far, she walked towards me. "What are you doing?"  
"I was thinking about checking out this Austenland…"  
"Are you serious?" She raised an eyebrow. "I mean…"  
I didn't listen to her, I stepped inside the first agency I could find, outside the window there was a small sign indicating they knew about Austenland, I was unsure if a lot of people asked after then land where everything Austen was kind of true, so I stepped towards the first member of the staff.  
"I was willing to ask something about Austenland?"  
"Sure…" He smiled at me, Ruby sat right down next to me. He pulled a small computer screen near me and switched the DVD on. A video started to play.

 _"_ _What separates the casual Jane Austen fan from the aficionado? Is it her admiration for the style and manners of the Regency era? The number of times she has read Austen's novels? Or her consuming love for Mr. Darcy? A true aficionado of Austen does so much more than merely read her novels and admire her world from afar. She finds her way here to the world's only immersive Austen experience."_

"Are you really going to blow your entire life savings on an Austen experience?" Ruby stared at me, she was asking the right questions off course. I listened to the staff member talking about the experience, he called it a LC, a life changer. He told me about how I would be a Jane Austen hero in my own story, about how I would be happy. Yet I kept looking at Ruby, would the change of my life be that I wouldn't have money anymore. Was my friend right? Off course she was, but I was so caught up in the man's story, that I could almost feel my life changing in front of me, he told me how some people found love on this trip.  
"Only the 1 percent." Ruby elaborated, pointing out that most people were left empty after they tasted from paradise and came back to a life without any savings.  
"Every stay in Austenland ends with a real life ball, as in Happily ever after."  
There was not much comments that Ruby had about that, she simple stood up and left. I followed her, giving the man a small hand movement that I would be back for farther information. I went after Ruby, who was stepping down the streets of New York, sometimes she would look back at me and roll her eyes. Almost like she tried to stop me. I wanted to say something, yet there was nothing to say what so ever, I wanted to do something she wasn't okay with.  
"You're going to come back to an empty life." Ruby yelled. "Your whole life's savings would be gone and you would not have love either, you would have tasted from something fake and maybe you'll found someone who you care for, but oh yeah, the man's an actor. Belle, this is not real. It's a place filled with actors. You won't find love there…"  
"He said…"  
"He wants to sell those vacations, off course he'll call it a life changer. Belle, I'll repeat this, you'll come back to an empty life and an empty bank account."

* * *

 **Review! Don't forget, reviews do a lot.**


	2. AN

AN:

I am planning on dropping more than one story, that's why I'm placing this AN. I want to know if there is still an intrest in this story, do I need to keep this up? If you truly want to read more of this story, please tell me. No reviews means a direct ending to the story. I can't keep up all the stories.


	3. Chapter 2

**HEy**

 **T** **his chapter took so long. I simple always felt bad about it. So I worked my ass off today and here it is. Chapter 2. I hope you guys love it.**

 **Love**

 **TempeGeller.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A true Austen aficionado**

I had fallen asleep pretty fast that night, I had barely thought about the possibility . At dawn I had awoken and the idea about the exotic vacation had returned to my mind. What were the downsides of going, there were more downsides than upsides, both were money. 10000 dollars was a lot of it, money I couldn't miss. Like Ruby had said, I would return to an empty bank account. And if nothing changed in my life, I would only keep pleasure from the experience. If only the vacation was cheaper, I wouldn't have lost that many thoughts about it. A park that brought you to the world Jane Austen had created, it was a true paradise for a fan like me. I could only think about meeting a guy that was exactly like mister Darcy, accept he wasn't like the man I adored, the man would be an actor, following all the pointers miss Austen had given to a Mister Darcy like man, so even if I met a man like mister Darcy, it wouldn't really be a man like mister Darcy.  
I slowly rose from the bed and moved to her dresser. I choose a blue dress from it, people always told her I looked good in blue, so it was only natural that I chose for the colour. I slowly left my bedroom, entering the combined kitchen, living room and diner. The first things I noticed was Ursula, she was sitting at the dinner table, eating a sandwich. In her hands she was holding the brochure of Austenland I had received only yesterday. My cheeks coloured red. The woman that had warned her about mister Darcy, was reading the very thing I didn't want her to read. There was not much I could say, I didn't want to talk about my obsession to go to the expensive vacation. Specially because I didn't want to ask money. Ursula was a very rich woman and her mother often joked that I should ask her money, yet there were not many moments that I actually would.

"Belle…" Ursula's eyes were directed to me. I bit on my lip. "Are you actually planning on going to this theme-park?"  
I shook my head in all honesty, a couple of moments later I softly nodded in agreement. I didn't want to say yes, but I was in fact saying yes. Her eyes were directed to the photo on the brochure. She moved her hands together.  
"So how are you going to pay for this journey?"  
"That's how far I got." I replied. "I truly don't have an intention on truly taking this journey, I want to, but I can't afford it. I don't intend on giving my life savings to an Austen experience, even if I could meet a pretend Darcy."  
"I thought you would really be…" Ursula paused. "It's too bad, it looks like something truly detoxing."  
"It seems the opposite of detoxing." I replied. "Spending time with how perfectly the time period was, seems like oil to a flame. It will only make it worse."  
"See that's the thing." Ursula smiled. "The reality can never be as fulfilling as the fantasy. It will be a good thing for you, to leave the fantasy behind you and finally come back to earth. Realize that a guy like Gaston is the best you'll ever get. Because honey, in this world, there are no perfect gentleman. Only those who look like."

I didn't feel like saying anything. I just stormed out the apartment, going to work. After this long day, Ursula would be gone. I had no idea what things would happen in life, I had no idea if I would go to Austenland. I even didn't know where life would get me. The only thing I did know, was that I had a life to live. I kept thinking about what Ursula had said. Were there truly no gentleman in the world left? Were they extinct. Was she right? Was Gaston truly the best guy I could get? Did I live in a world where I had to settle for mister Collins? And if I did, would I be satisfied to spent my whole life without love? Was I born to spend my life in a loveless relationship?  
I spent that day at work, thinking about Austenland. Eventually deciding against it. I wouldn't be that foolish girl spending every dollar she had. I would be the girl who would call Gaston and try it once more again, knowing very well that I would never truly be happy with him by my side.

* * *

 _6 Weeks later_

6 awful weeks later I was still in a relationship with Gaston. One that didn't do anything to me. I didn't like him on any plane. I just kept thinking about Ursula's words, that this was the best I was going to get. Right now he was sleeping by my side and even now I thought about taking a pillow and taking his life. I knew it wasn't like me, but that was how bad this relationship was for me. He was a man all about his achievement. He liked to hunt and that was the very thing I hated about him. I hated that he could harm any living creature. I hated that he was a cruel man. I hated that he was everything I saw at first sight. There was nothing about him left to figure out. He was as doll as the day and as cruel as the night. My mother noticed that I wasn't happy with the relationship and she also asked me why I stayed with him. I never truly answered her. She would undoubtedly say it was better to be happy by yourself, then unhappy in a relationship. I always pushed the question if I was happy away, by some library term she knew little about. My mother did love reading, she was the reason I loved books as much as I did.  
I stared at Gaston and got up from the bed. I went to the living room and took myself a cup of tea. I kept it close to my body and felt the warmth coming to my body. Was it true? Were there no gentleman left? Was I destined to spend my whole life with Gaston?  
A noise came from the other side of the room, I found Gaston staring at me. His eyes had something in it that I couldn't recognize.  
"I'm going hunting." He stared at me. "Should I bring you anything?"  
"I'm a vegetarian. You know that." She turned away. "Gaston, this thing, I think we should end it. It's not good for me, or you. I think you're not in this relationship either."  
"Belle French." He stared at her. "I choose you with a reason. Almost 30, clock ticking. I'm as good as it gets. You're not going to find any better."  
"Well, I would rather be alone and be happy." I stepped away from him. "Then spend my entire life with a Neanderthaler like you."

I pushed him from the apartment. I ran to the room, took the rest of his stuff and threw it outside. I heard him scream something, but I could care less. I was free of him once again. 6 weeks I had lost by his side. 6 weeks because of my aunt Ursula. That were 6 weeks I would never get back, yet I was happy that I would never have to share a bed with him once again. I knew that there might not be any gentleman left, I would rather be by myself than spent my whole life at his side. I had never met a man that was more of a monster than Gaston was. I would never waste my time on a guy like that ever again. I would be happy by myself.

* * *

It was late at night when I got home from the library. The number of the answering machine was flickering, but I had no intention of listing to my messages. I dropped myself on my bed, ready to go to sleep. That was when the phone rang. I used every bit of energy to pick up the phone. I heard the voice of Ariel on the other side. She never called me. There was a part of me that felt curious.  
"I was on your doorstep today." She said. "But it seemed that you weren't at home. I called more than once. I have bad news, Belle. My mother Ursula has passed away."  
There was a part of me shocked. Shocked that we hadn't been on good terms the last time I saw her. I was shocked that a healthy woman of 59, just dropped dead. There had been no news of diseases, yet Ariel told another story. Apparently she had been ill for a long time. When she visited the last time she had known she didn't have long. She had said nothing to anyone. Part of me wanted to replay the last meeting. Part of me wished that I hadn't stormed out on her. Part of me wished I had never mentioned the vacation to her. Yet I had and there was nothing I could do about that. I could not take back the things I had said and I would never be able to speak to her once again. I heard Ariel's cries and wished I knew her well enough to take the pain away. Yet I hardly knew anything about her. I had no idea what she liked or if she believed in anything. There was nothing I could do. I didn't even know why she called me. There was no reason what so ever. I would get a letter of the fact she was dead, but a phone call seemed strange to me. Yet I didn't dare to ask why she had called. I didn't dare to say anything that could seem like an attack. So I kept my mouth shut. I said nothing about my break up with Gaston and I said nothing of her guilt in that matter. I didn't mention anything. I didn't even say anything about my lost fantasy of Austenland.  
"The reason I'm calling…" Ariel's tears seemed to stop. "You're in her will."

"What?" I was surprised by the fact the woman would leave me anything. She hardly knew me, she only visited a few times a year and those times were hardly enough to leave me anything in her will. It had to be something stupid, a book on dating or something. Something that she thought would be good for me. With my luck it was another cut out of mister Darcy. With my luck it would be the Darcy of the Knightly movie. I knew for one matter that she would never leave me money. She wasn't that kind of woman. She only left money to family members she had seen much in the last years. That wasn't me.  
"I was just as surprised as you were." She replied. "I never knew she was fond of you."  
'She was never fond of you', turned in the best compliment of the day. Off course I knew that Ursula never looked at me with love. She would always tell me how imperfect my life was. She would always say that my romantic ideas would never get me anywhere. She always said that I was wrong about love. She said love wasn't layered, that I was wrong about anything I said. She said I was too much of idealist. She said so much things and I hardly ever listened to her. Yet right now I had to listen to her daughter. Because the woman I hardly ever listened to, had left me something in her will.  
"She didn't leave you any money." Ariel replied. "If that is what you think."  
"I hadn't expected." Belle rolled her eyes. "What did my dear aunt leave me?"  
"Well, she arranged a vacation for you." Ariel explained. "Something called Austenland."

"She didn't…"  
"The attorney will call about the details." Ariel said. "I thought you should hear it from me."  
That was about the strangest conversation I had in my entire life. My aunt had left me a stay in Austenland. I was going to my fantasy land. I was happy, not with her dead off course. I was happy with the very thing she left me. I couldn't believe it and when more time passed by, I would not understand more. Why had she left me this? Did she want to give me that very detox cure? Would it really help with me? I had no idea. I didn't think I had a problem, I considered myself a fan. A very big fan, but still a fan. That was who I was. I loved miss Austen. There were more people that loved her. I didn't have a problem. My apartment told another story, it told the story of someone that was loved Jane Austen. Every surface of my apartment was covered with it. There were dolls of every heroine and every suitor. There was even a Collins doll, which I used to throw everywhere. My most prized possession was a doll of mister Darcy. He spoke, but I hardly ever let him do that. He was a collector's item which I had gotten from a Kickstarter. I had supported a short movie of Pride and prejudice. It was right next to the DVD-box of the Lizzie Bennet diaries, which I watched on a rainy day. When it was on you tube I watched it. Even that mister Darcy was beyond dreamy. I loved every part of that show. Maybe I did have a problem.  
Maybe this Austenland would make me less obsessed. Maybe I would finally be satisfied with anything but perfect. Maybe I could live a normal life. That next morning I got the call, I went to the office and got everything. I couldn't sell the vacation and I had to go on it myself. I would leave in two weeks. I got every piece of documents and had to get my passport ready. I was going to Austenland. I was going to live my dream.

* * *

The next day I went to work with a song in my heart. I was counting the days until I left for London and was transported to another time and day. I had so much fantasies about it. Fantasies about meeting someone nice, eyes meeting from across the room. Fantasies that were all more amazing then the previous. I actually didn't know if it would be good for me. I thought about being Elizabeth Bennet and meeting mister Darcy. Did I have the time for going from loathing to loving? I hadn't thought about the time part of the equation. What if I didn't have enough time to fall in love? What if it took too much time? It did take a lot of time for Emma and Knightly to fall in love and it took even longer for Elizabeth and William Darcy to fall in love. I hoped to be like Jane and Charles Bingley, they only took a day to fall for each other. A day to realize they were perfect for each other. If only there wouldn't be a mister Darcy to make the relationship more complicated. I honestly admitted I was not like Jane Bennet. I always saw myself as a Lizzie. I was nowhere near as understanding as Jane. I had Lizzie's prejudice. How I looked forward to my little trip to Austenland.

I moved over clouds going to work. The questions I answered that day were filled with a meaningful smile and I was sure everyone knew something really powerful happened in my life. If they weren't aware of it, their eyes had be shut closed pretty tightly. After a long day I stepped next to Ruby. She noticed my absent smile directly. I don't know if it's a best friend thing, or the obviousness of the situation.  
"Tell me you didn't…" She opened her eyes wider. "Tell me you didn't spent your entire savings on this Austen experience."  
"I spent no single dollar on it." I answered. "My aunt left it to me in her will. Ariel called me tomorrow. She's giving me a stay the one and only Austenland."  
"And you can't exchange if for…" She replied. "Let's say, money."  
"It's non-refundable."

"I don't know, Belle." She touched my arm. "Do you think you should subject yourself to this. It might make things worse. "  
We walked out of the library, I stared around. I didn't want to answer her. My aunt thought it would help me. Yet my very best friend thought it would make things worse. I didn't know which truth to believe. I kept quiet as we walked towards the subway. We stepped on the first vehicle we could find. She sat down right next to me and gave me the time to think about my situation. She didn't expect a direct response. I wouldn't have been able to give her this anyway. I had pushed away anything negative. I my mind only the positive of Austenland existed. Would I come back crazy? Would I forget what reality was? Had my young days of Larping gotten to me? As I arrived in my stop, Ruby followed me. Almost like she wanted to point out something. She followed me to my apartment and as she got there, she stared at me.  
"I'm worried about you, Belle." She touched my hand. " You know how bad you get with this mister Darcy. I don't want this thing to take over."  
"So you know how bad I am?" I smiled. "Ruby, I'm just a fan."  
Ruby did the one thing I didn't want her to do, she pulled open my bedroom door and walked in a world I didn't want anyone to know. She took the mister Darcy doll and pushed it in my hands. I stared at it, it spoke to me. Yet I didn't hear its words. I kept my eyes fixated on Ruby.  
"You used to be a fan." She touched my hand. "I don't blame you honey. You've had rotten luck with the whole romance. I mean Gaston is…"  
"We're over."  
"Oh thank God." Ruby replied. "So I'm allowed to speak freely about mister no brains. Belle, can I say it."

"Ruby…" I paused. "Say it…"  
"Okay, this obsession." The word had fallen I got extremely quiet. I didn't know what word to say. I just knew I didn't think of myself as obsessed. Maybe I thought, an obsessed girl would be happy with a journey like this. An obsessed girl would going crazy. A normal girl would find another boyfriend and move on with her life. I wasn't a normal girl and I was never going to be. No sane guy would ever date me. I was crazy.  
"Belle, it's been brewing since we were in high school. I used to fantasize about mister Darcy as well, but you turned it in to something new and I know Gaston has pushed you towards it."  
"So you're saying I should stay home?"  
She didn't respond right away. I saw that she started to thinking about a response. She sat down on my bed, put her hand on mine. She didn't want to say anything stupid, she didn't want to change my mind. I was sure she would. She had been my best friend since we were both 9. I was bullied and Ruby simple took my side. She had always been by my side and I believed she always would. There was no way that she would ever leave me. I could always count of her, for giving me the hard opinions. I could always count on her, I never wanted that to change.  
"Belle, you don't need this trip." She turned her face a little. "You don't need mister Darcy. You will find someone and when he's the one, trust me you'll know."  
"How do you know that Archie is the one?" I stared at her.  
"Because no matter what my day was like, Archie always thinks I'm the most beautiful girl in the world. He always thinks I'm the best version of yourself. That's what you need someone that accepts you no matter what. You don't need mister Darcy..."  
"But mister Darcy…"

"Ruby, so what should I do?"  
"You know what." Ruby smiled. "I have changed my mind. I totally support you going to this place. Because I'm sure the reality will not be as fulfilling as the fantasy."  
"I don't think you understand…"  
"Let's make a wager of it…" She stared to the room. "If I wine, you de-Austen your room."

That was it. With that my journey to Austenland was back on. As the time passed by, the day came closer and closer. My head was full of things I expected. I didn't know what to truly expect. I honestly didn't know if I should expect love. The day before I left Ruby came to my apartment to wish me a good journey.  
"I got you a little something." She pulled a dress from her bag and handed it to me. And with that I left for the airport. I was going to somewhere I always wanted to be. I took little luggage, since we would get clothes right there. I only took some underwear and toiletries. I packed rather lightly. Yet a part of me felt that this was growing up. I thought I would leave mister Darcy behind me forever. This journey would all be about that. Maybe that would mean I finally would find a meaningful relationship. I hardly knew what was going happen to me. Yet my dreams hoped on true love. However I would never know what was about to come.

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 **okay, so I'm torn. In the original story we don't see much off Molly. Ruby is taking Molly's roll, so that means we won't see more of Ruby. So here is my question; should I try to enlarge Ruby's part? Please review.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey**

 **Here is the new chapter of Once upon a time in Austenland. I hope you like this. I love the movie, yet I had to change Elizabeth Charming, Emma just isn't like how the character is portrayed. Emma would never be caught saying any of the stuff Elizabeth says in the movie. Maybe somethings she would.  
Enjoy, **

**TempeGeller**

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 **Chapter 3: the road to Austenland**

I will gladly admit that I hadn't expected I would actually head to Austenland. So I didn't know what I needed to take. I hardly knew what to expect. The letter said I didn't need any clothes. Yet I had a beautiful dress that was made by my best friend. I wondered if I needed any luggage? Or if I could fly with only my carry on. I didn't know for sure. What was I doing? Was I truly expecting to find love there? Why was I even expecting to find true love? I had read the brochure a hundred times, there were actors in the house pretending to be men from the regency. They could come from any of Jane Austen's books, even the ones that weren't finished. I thought about falling in love with mister Knightly. I thought about the romance that could be waiting for me. Was there any chance someone would actually fall in love with me in the house? I thought of the unlikely scenario that an actor might fall in love with me. It would be some epic love story, of how he shouldn't have fallen for me, yet he did. Somehow I was stupid enough to believe something like this could happen to me.  
The days before I departed I didn't need to go to work. I simply spent my time reading my Jane Austen books. It was like I was there and I remembered I would be there in a few days. I thought about everything I would go through and I noticed how I started to practice my regency talk. I pretended to talk to Mister Darcy and more than once I stared at the image in the mirror. There were even times that I almost sounded insane. Yet I wasn't insane. I was going to a place where I could be part of the Jane Austen world and I was happy about it. I somehow knew I wouldn't find love, yet I wanted to be part of everything. I almost didn't care if my character didn't get a love storyline. I thought about being the Harriet of the story and noticed that I always liked Harriet and even Jane Fairfax. Sometimes I thought Emma wasn't my favourite. She was after all something I didn't know. My friend Red was kind of like Emma, She had tried to set me up with guys. These were guys that had turned out to be less perfect. Archie was a lot like mister Knightly. And I hoped to god that someday I would find my Martin. I laughed as I thought about what I just thought. I just had thought about finding someone that wasn't mastered, Darcy.  
The night before I would go to London, I lay awake in my bed. I was too excited to sleep. Off course I had been in London before, I love London more than I did New York. Somehow the big Apple had grown boring to me. London was an adventure it were spaces that I hadn't discovered yet. I would always visit new libraries and look to what they did differently. I always thought libraries were kind of the same all over the world, but there were always small differences that made everything so different. I loved it all. Yet that day I knew I wouldn't simply be visiting libraries, I would be going to a fictional world. Where I needed to pretend to be a version of myself. Maybe a version that would bring reality to how my life truly was. I didn't know what they knew about me, I didn't know what my aunt had told me. It couldn't be all too good.  
My aunt always said I was stupid to break up with Gaston. Yet I always believed it was the right thing to do. I bet she didn't draw the right situation. I bet she made Gaston in a nice guy. Which he isn't. He loved himself way too much and always judged me about the way I looked. I was never good enough for him, that was so tiresome that I broke up with him. It was ugly, he had said I wouldn't be able to find better than him. I closed the door in front of him. I hadn't spoken to him ever since. That breakup caused me to watch Pride and Prejudice and wish for a mister Darcy of my own. When I closed my eyes, my last thoughts were about the perfect guy I was about to meet. I noticed that there was no realism in my head. I would find someone. I had believed I wouldn't, but in a few seconds, I had changed my mind. I decided that I would be the one to change an actor's mind. I would be the one that made someone fall in love with me. After that, I would live happily ever after. Or whatever happens after the book.  
When I closed my eyes, I almost thought I saw the image of a handsome man in front of me. One that would love me to no end. One with a beautiful accent to complete mine. One that looked just as handsome as Collin Firth in that Pride and Prejudice film. One that would get when I talked about classic literature. One that didn't mind taking a book in his hands and reading it to me. I realised that the image wasn't realistic. Yet I didn't care. I went to sleep with a picture of perfection that I would never get.

The next morning I woke up early. I got up, started to get ready. I made my home ready to leave for a long time. I would be there for a month. In that time Ruby would take care of everything. Yet I didn't want to cause her any trouble. After an hour I was ready to depart. My ride to the airport was there at ten. I got in and got ready to leave for a dream. I had dressed up, I knew it would be strange yet I wanted to already feel like the magic was happening. Everything after that seemed strange, I almost didn't notice what people were saying to me. I was on the plane at two. That was when I waited for liftoff. I knew when they would be departing, but it was clear that it would take longer. In the seat next to me was a woman with long blond hair. She stared at me with a strange smile. She didn't roll her eyes like other people. She seemed okay with the outfit.  
"I almost wore something like it…" The girl smiled. "Let me guess, your friend made it for you."  
"How do you know?"  
"Emma Swan." She replied. "I'm going to the Darcy place too. Don't worry, it's written all over you. In fact, I forget to wear the outfit. I admire your guts…."  
"Belle…" I added.  
"Like the girl who falls in love with the beast." Emma nodded her head. "Get it. And if you're wondering, my parents called me Emma. Yet my friends always were convinced it was…"  
"Let me guess…" I bit my lip. "Odette."  
"To be honest I'm not like Emma." She said. "You know Emma Woodhouse. I see myself more as Jane Fairfax. I assume I will be looking for my Frank Churchill."  
"You know your Austen…"  
I smiled, I had met Jane Austen fans before, yet I never met people who wanted to be part of the books. Most people looked as things prolonged. People like me wanted to be part of the world, it seemed that Emma was exactly the same. She smiled at me for just a moment. I wondered if her life was as negative as Jane Fairfax her life had been. Part of me felt bad for Emma. I wanted to know everything about her, yet at the same time, I wanted to ask nothing. I didn't want to bring her any pain. Yet she kept her eyes firmly on my face.  
"You know…" Emma replied. "I think this is going to be amazing."  
"I agree," I replied. "I think everyone will be amazing. I think about falling in love."  
"Be careful with that Belle," Emma replied. "You could get hurt with that…."  
I knew what she wanted to say. The next hours we talked about Jane Austen and everything that had to do with it. I wished we would meet more people that were heading towards the world of Jane Austen. Yet there didn't seem to be anyone else on this plane.  
"With my luck, I'll get a guy who's missing a hand…" Emma replied.  
We laughed as I felt we could become great friends. There was something about Emma. Something that I needed a friend. She was honest with me. Like Ruby was. She loved Austen just as much as I did and we were able to have fun. That were important pointers to becoming a friend. It was a bit before ten when we landed in the morning. Emma and I got off the plane together. It wasn't clear where we needed to be. So we searched for the place they would pick us up. They had told they would wait for us at the airport. In the end, the board of Austenland was easily found. We waited for whoever would bring us to the mansion. That was when a young man arrived in a car. I had not expected a car. I had expected a horse and carriage. I didn't know why they had chosen a very old fashioned car. Yet I didn't want to ask about their choice. I was sure that we first needed to settle practical stuff. Maybe we would be brought to a building where they prepared us. After that, we would take the carriage to the main building. That was how it was going to be, I believed. There couldn't be anything else that made sense. I and Emma got in the car and my theory was proven right.  
"I was told I was supposed to come in costume," I said to the driver.  
"They told me the same." He smiled to me. At first glance, he seemed cute. He had brown eyes, short dark hair and a beautiful smile. Maybe he could be the type I could fall for. And there was no chance this man was an actor, but maybe I wouldn't be able to get to know him. Maybe this was his job, driving people between the airport and the practical building. She stared at the British country, I had never been outside London and right now we were driving away from it. I kissed the city goodbye and waited for a new adventure. One that had everything to do with Jane Austen. Maybe I would find love and maybe I would only have the time of her life.  
"It's pretty…" Emma turned to Belle. "I've always loved England. After my parents got divorced my father and me lived in Surrey for two months. It was the best days of my life. After that, I moved in with my mother."  
We stopped in front of a small house. It was too small and didn't really fit in the regency style. It was a small urban house. I stared at it as the door opened up.  
I watched as the woman of the video stepped outside. She looked different in her regency dress. She was wearing a blue dress with long sleeves and a head. I stared at her. She was truly beautiful. She had long brown hair. At first, she looked at Emma, but she didn't look at me. A smile appeared on her face.  
"Welcome to the Regency era." She said as she took a step closer to me. "This is just a stop before we go to the big house.I am Mrs Mills. Miss Swan, I hope your journey was endurable. You'll be Emma Charming this weekend."  
"Charming, really?"  
I stared at the woman in front of me, she had not acknowledged that I was here. It almost felt that I wasn't supposed to be here. Almost that I wasn't rich enough. Almost that she knew I received this when my poor aunt died. So I nodded my head a little, it was then that her eyes went to me. I gave her a smile, I levitated my hand towards her.  
"Oh yes, Belle French." She said as if she didn't want me to be there. She looked at my dress. Maybe it was a bit too red for her taste. I pulled the cape closer to my body. All of the sudden I felt embarrassed. I didn't know what to say. I looked at her. What was the best thing to say? I thought about how I wanted to be called.  
"I've been thinking about my pseudonym. I would like to be called miss Soo." I said. I loved Hamilton the musical, I hadn't gotten a chance to see it just yet. But I love everything about it. I stared at the woman and she looked at me like I couldn't decide my name.  
"You've already been assigned a name. Miss Erstwhile." I looked at her in disappointment. Why couldn't I decide my own name? Had Emma chosen herself? I realised I didn't know. She said something to the driver, it turned that his name was Will. I looked at him, he had to prepare the carriage. I felt bad for how she talked to him, almost like he was less than he was. We followed her to a small office. There we were, waiting for more information. I wanted to hear about anything she had to tell. She sat down across of us. I stared at her.  
"Complete immersion in the Regency era is the only way to appreciate Austen's England, wouldn't you say so miss Charming?"  
Emma said nothing, she only looked at me. I smiled, I was happy to be here. This is what I had dreamed about my whole life, yet something felt wrong about it all. I thought about Ruby, luckily I hadn't paid for this trip myself.  
"Just to avoid any confusion, I'd like you to know that we do offer several distinct experiences." She stared at me. "You have paid for the Basic Copper package, while the other ladies in the party are part of the Platinum Elite package."  
I didn't understand, no one had told me there were different packages. The man at the agency had only shown me one price. No one had said something. Did my aunt know? Was she trying to teach me a lesson about my place in the world? Was she trying to say I didn't deserve a good man? I hated the idea. I wanted to deserve someone that was good for me. I was still excited about what was to happen. Yet I hated missing parts of the journey. I wanted to live everything. I didn't want to be excluded from anything and it seemed that would happen.  
"Ok, I mean I'm just so excited to be here, I've dreamed about this for so long." I smiled. I had dreamed about this since I first started to read Jane Austen. I always wanted to be part of the book.  
"All of my guests will experience romance with one of our actors. But I must emphasise there is to be no touching other than the necessary social graces. Not a chance. I also expect all my guests to maintain appropriate manners and conversation and to eschew all things modern. Any flagrant disobedience will result in the early termination of your stay."  
"You don't have to worry about me. I know Austen's books intimately." I replied.  
They brought me to a room. There were dresses everywhere. I recognised a dress that Lizzie had worn in Pride and Prejudice. I wanted to be transformed into someone from the Regency. I looked at the pictures. What kind of hair would they give me? Two people came towards me. At first, I needed to leave my clothes there, they said I would get them back after the trip. I hid my phone, I wanted to keep contact with the world. I hid my loader in a small bag I would take there. I smiled at the woman as they gave me a corset. I didn't know all woman in the Regency had a corset, yet I welcomed it. I wanted everything to be as real as possible. And I needed a corset for that. Lizzie wore it in the movie, I would wear it now. They pulled it very tightly. I almost felt like I couldn't breathe. I smiled. After that they took a brown dress, I liked it. Right then I stared in the mirror. That was when they started to doing my hear. There were two braids, my hair was pulled up. In the front of my hair, they applied some curls. When I was done I looked in the mirror. This was me. This had always been me, but for the first time, I thought I was pretty. The first time I thought of myself as someone I liked.  
I stepped outside, as I saw Emma in a blood red dress. She smiled at me as she saw me.  
"Looking good, Emma," I said.  
"You too, Belle." She replied. "I never expected that a corset would look this good on me. It is quite different from what I was wearing an hour ago. I guess this is how it starts. What now?"  
"We step in a time machine." I smiled.

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 **Don't forget to review if you like this story. Doesn't matter what you say.**


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